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City tries to keep its cool as heat hits 100 degrees

Enlarge ImageRequest to buy this photoChris Russell | DispatchZach McDowell, 7 and Kijafa Battle, 9, laid down on the street next to Westgate Park to cool off in the spray of an opened fire hydrant this afternoon. They were part of a Westgate Recreation Camp that was taking turns getting a cooling soak.

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Find a fan, accelerate the air conditioning or hug a hydrant — it’s a hot one.

Keeping cool will be the order of the day as the hot temperatures linger into evening.

It hit 100 degrees at Port Columbus at 4:13 p.m., marking the first time the city's official
thermometer has hit triple digits since July 31, 1999.

At 5 p.m., the thermometer had ticked down slightly to 99 degrees at Port Columbus. It was 97
degrees at Bolton Field in southwest Columbus and 98 degrees at Don Scott Field on the Northwest
Side. Rickenbacker Airport in southern Franklin County was the hot spot at 101 degrees.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory through 8 p.m. Friday, urging central
Ohio residents to take it easy outdoors and drink plenty of water to avoid heat-related
illnesses.

And, it will be smoggy, posing a potential risk for people with respiratory-related illnesses.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission this afternoon issued an air-quality alert for elevated
ozone levels today and Friday.

Mayor Mike Coleman announced this morning that four fire hydrants will be opened to give city
residents an additional option for beating the heat.

Hydrants will be opened, and supervised by city employees, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today and
Friday at 180 N. Ohio Ave. on the Near East Side; 1100 Rhodes Ave. in Driving Park; 1254 Briarwood
Ave. in Linden Park; and at Wicklow and S. Hampton streets in Westgate Park.

Air-conditioned city recreation centers are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays to provide
another spot to cool off. Seven city swimming pools also are available for those seeking refuge
from the heat. The Faith Mission, 315 E. Long St., also is opening its doors during the day to
allow the homeless to escape the heat.

The record high for today is 102 degrees, set in 1944.

Days of 100-degree readings or higher in Columbus are unusual. There’s only been 15 days with
triple-digit temperatures since 1950.

There’s little relief in sight. Highs in the low to mid-90s are forecast for days to come,
with only a small chance of pop-up thunderstorms. Much of the Columbus area is classified as in
moderate drought, with rainfall for the month more than 2 inches below normal.

Accompanying the low humidity and dry vegetation, there’s also a “red-flag warning” signaling
a high risk for outdoor fires that could spread rapidly amid winds forecast to approach 25 mph
today.

Del-Co Water Co., which serves 135,000 customers, largely in Delaware and Morrow counties, has
imposed a ban on lawn watering until July 6 to allow its water-storage towers to recover from heavy
water use.